Grapple



Feb. 22, 1944. WRQBBEL 2,342,506

GRAPPLE Filed July 30, 1942 fimQqIp/QWJZLZ ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 22,1944 GRAPPLE Rudolph Wrohbel, Lancaster, N. Y., assignor to American Carand Foundry Company, New York. N. Y., a corporation of New JerseyApplication July 30, 1942, Serial No. 452,933

Claims. (Cl. 294-106) This invention relates to grapples in general andin particular to the grapple for use in lifting heavy objects such asshells.

In the past shells in the rough and finished forms have been handled bythe use of web or leather belts in order that the shells surface mightnot be injured. The use of such belts or slings consumed considerabletime and slowed up production in the shell manufacturing plants.Furthermore, the use of these belts or slings did not permit readyrotation of the shell or other .by an arm which can hold the jaws inopen or in closed position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a grappleformed of a minimum.

number of parts with the jaws held open or closed; dependent upon theposition of the hoist line or other lifting device to which the grappleis attached.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to personsskilled in the art from a study of the following description andaccompanying drawing, in which 1 Figure 1 is an elevational view of theimproved grapple with the parts shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts inthe position holding the jaws open, and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the grapple.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the grappleis made of but three main parts, namely, a first jaw A, a second jaw Band an operating arm C. The jaw A is made in the present instance of aflat piece of metal 2 cut to the proper contour and having a thin sheetof plate metal 4 welded or otherwise attached thereto and providing awide object gripping surface. The upper end of the arm has welded orotherwise attached thereto spaced apart extensions 6 and 8. These, ofcourse, may if desired be attached to the arm by riveting, casting orany other method.

The jaw 13 is, like jaw A, formed of a flat piece of metal In suitablycurved and having attached thereto, as by welding or other means, asuitably curved or shaped plate 12 providing a wide object grippingsurface. The upper end of the arm B is formed with extensions producingin effect a Y shaped jaw. One arm M of the Y shaped jaw is locatedbetween the spaced extensions 6 and 8 of jaw A and is pivotallyconnected to jaw A by means of a pin, rivet or other device It. Theother arm W of the Y, shaped jaw extends upwardly as clearly shown inFigs, 1 and 2 and is located in the same plane as extension l4, thusbeing capable of centering between extensions 6 and 8 of jaw A ifnecessary,

In order to control the movementsof the jaws A and B the operating arm Cis provided and pivoted between the extensions 6' and}; by any suitablemeans, such as rivet or pin 20., This operating arm is formed with a camlikeextension 22 having one surface 24 adapted to engage extension 18 ofjaw B and another surface 26 adapted to engage a surface of extension I4of jaw B. This cam like extension of the operating arm can swing freelybetween' the spaced extensions 6 and 8 of the jaw A andis located in thespace between arms M and 18 forming extensions of the jaw 13. Theoperating arm is also formed with spaced apart hoist line receiv-- ingportions 28 and 30 located adjacent the exe tremities of the operatingarmand connected to an elongated slot 32. A ring or other device 34 isfixed in the slot and forms part of the hoist line by means of which thegrapple is moved about. The ring or other part of the hoist line mayreadily be slipped in the slot from the receiving portion 28 to thereceiving portion 30, that is, from the position of Fig. 2 to theposition of Fig. 1.

With the hoist line part in the receiving portion 28 the center ofgravity of the grapple is substantially directly 'below the hoist lineand the weight of the operating arm C will cause the cam surface 26 toengage the projection 14 of jaw E and hold the same in an open position.The weight of the jaw B will, of course, force pivot 16 to one sideslightly until the center of gravity of the jaws is beneath the hoistline, thus holding jaw A in the open position. When the grapple held inthe open position is lowered over the object, such as shown at O inFigs. 1 and 2, the operator need only shift the hoist line from thereceiving portion 28 to the receiving portion 30 and cause the hoistline to be raised. Raising of the hoist line will lift the free end ofthe operating arm forcing the cam surface 24 to contact the projection[8 of the jaw B and force the same against the object to be lifted. Thereaction be tween the cam surface 24 and projection I3 will, of course,be transmitted through pivots 2t and it to jaw A causing it to move intocontact with the object. Continued lifting on the hoist line will thenlift the object after which it may be transported to any desired placeand released by lowering the hoist line and shifting the same fromreceiving portion 30 to receiving portion 28. In case the object beinglifted is a shell or other round object, the wide gripping surfaces 4and i2 prevent any injury to the surface of the object and provide awide bearing support allowing turning of the object within the grapplejaws and will be supported at least in part thereby.

While the invention has been described more or less in detail it will beobvious to persons skilled in the art that the grapple may beconstructed in other ways than that just described, for instance, theparts may be cast instead of cut out of plate and welded together, orthe parts may be modified to receive diiierent shaped objects. Allmodifications and rearrangements of parts are contempalted which willfall within the scope of the following claims defining my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a grapple of the character described, the combination of a pair ofjaws pivotally connected together and each formed with a projectionextending upwardly beyond the pivotal connection, and an operating armpivoted to one of the projections and formed with a cam end engaging theother of the projections, said operating arm being also formed withspaced apart hoist line receiving portions adjacent each extremity iorcontrolling the movement of said arm and jaws.

2, In a grapple of the character described, the combination of a firstjaw having an object gripping portion and spaced apart extensionssecured thereto, a second jaw of Y form having one arm thereof locatedbetween said extensions and pivoted thereto, and the leg thereofprovided with an object gripping portion opposed to the object grippingposition of said first jaw, an operating arm located between saidextensions and pivoted thereto above the pivot for said second jaw, anda cam extension formed on said operating arm, said cam extension beinglocated between the uppermost branches of said Y form second jaw andcooperable with each to control the movements of said jaws toward eachother during lifting of the operating arm.

3. In a grapple of the character described, the combination of a firstjaw having spaced apart extensions secured thereto, a second jaw of Yform having one branch thereof located between said extensions andpivoted thereto, an operating arm located between said extensions andpivoted thereto above the pivot for said second jaw, a cam extensionformed on said operating arm and located between the uppermost branchesof said Y form second jaw and cooperable with each to control themovements of said jaws, spaced apart hoist line receiving portionsformed in said operating arm adjacent the extremities thereof, and aslot connecting said hoist line receiving portions to permit shifting ofthe hoist line from one receiving portion to the other withoutdetachment.

4. In a grapple of the character described, the combination of a pair ofjaws pivotally connected together and each formed with a projectionextending upwardly beyond the pivotal connection, and an operating armpivoted to one of the projections and formed with a cam end engaging theother of the projections, said operating arm being also formed withspaced apart hoist line receiving portions, one of said portions beingso located as to cause said cam to hold said jaws open and the other ofsaid portions being so located as to cause said cam to move said jawstoward each other.

5. In a grapple of the character described, the combination of a pair ofjaws pivotally connected together and each formed with a projectionextending upwardly beyond the pivotal connection, and an operating armpivoted to one of the projections and formed with a cam end engaging theother of the projections, said operating arm being also formed withspaced apart hoist line receiving portions, one of said portions beingpositioned adjacent the line passing through the pivotal connection ofthe jaws and of the operating arm and jaw projections thereby causingsaid cam to hold said jaws open, and the other of said portions beingpositioned at a distance from the line thereby causing said cam to forcesaid jaws toward each other.

RUDOLPH WROBBE-L.

